Jaguar XFR-S Performance And Handling

The Jaguar XFR-S is powerful enough to rip a pedestrian’s clothes off at five-hundred yards. As such this large, luxurious and prestigious saloon hits 60mph in 4.4 seconds. Imagine that. It is stationary, then by the time the motorist counts “one, two, three and four” it is travelling close to the motorway speed limit. Maximum velocity is 186mph which is fast enough to melt clothes. Power comes from a 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine that propels 550PS to the rear wheels via eight-speed automatic transmission. This gearbox can either fire relentlessly between the cogs or help the car cruise smoothly. The driver can also select the gears manually via paddles close to the steering wheel. But power is nothing without control. As such, the suspension is stiffer than its siblings – and that was obvious within the few feet of my test. This helps it corner with confidence and complements the adaptive dampers that stiffen and soften the suspension according to the conditions. So, while cruising on a straight road the dampers might be soft(ish) to provide a comfortable ride then – while charging through corners – they stiffen to minimise roll.

The XFR-S also has traction control to reduce wheel spin. But be careful. Despite such wizardry there is only so much technology can do to tame the monstrous power – so drivers that get over confident might lose more than their clothing.

 Jaguar XFR-S Styling And Practicality

The Jaguar XFR-S’ styling emphasises its clothes-ripping performance. As such it has nineteen-inch brake discs and red callipers behind its imposing alloy wheels. These complement the muscular lines that incorporate the sweeping side sills, carbon fibre front air intake, carbon fibre rear diffuser and the carbon fibre rear wing. All this is wrapped-up with vibrant colours such as French Racing Blue, Italian Racing Red and Ultimate Black Metallic. These alone ensure it stands out like a naked pedestrian - so potential owners have to consider whether they can tolerate the often unwelcome attention such a vehicle attracts. Furthermore, unlike some performance cars this saloon sits four people in comfort and there is room for five at a push. Just make sure any passengers are glued into their clothes. The XFR-S also has a large 500-litre boot, although the shape somewhat limits practicality. Standard equipment includes pretty much everything, so the only item required from the options list is the built-in colour television.

Source: Motoring